Typewheel typewriter



Oct. 2,4, 1933. A. A. UNGl-:R 1,931,593

I TYPEWHEEL TYPEWRIT'ER Filed Nov.. 1o, 1951 l A R914.

Patented Oct. 24, 1933 y 1,931,593 TYPEWHEliL-TYPEWRITER Alfred Anton Unger, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany Application November 10, 1931' serial No. 576051 4 claims. (ci. 191-4'1) This invention relates to improvementsin type wheel typewriters by which the construction is considerably simplied and the operation greatly facilitated. The invention presents a numberof advantages for the construction of portable typewriters, but can be employed also for ordinary type wheel typewriters.

The main feature of the machine improved according to the invention is that the setting of the type wheel as well as the striking of the type on to the rollers is elected by anindexing, or

typewheel-actuating member, which is guided by hand over the keyboard and the arrangement of which relative thereto is such, that the keyboard is not covered, but always. remains exposed, when -writing Further the machine is provided with an arrangement, which renders it possible to use the machine as ciphering machine, without changing the type wheel or the keyboard, by mutually displacing one of same against the other so that, when setting the proper letters on the keyboard, another type determined by the amount of displacement strikes on the platen. The deciphering is effected by writing the ciphered text on a machine adjusted in a similar manner, but in the opposite direction.

Further advantages of the new machine are indicated in the following description with reference to the forms of construction illustrated by way of example, in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a small typewriter in top plan view.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sect i on on line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows in part top plan view a modied form of construction, and

Fig. 5 a cross section on line V-'-V of Fig. 4.

In the drawing 1 is the base plate of the machine frame 2, in which the carriage 4, accommodating the platen 3, is shiftably mounted. The numerals 5 and 6 designate the two ink ribbon spools and 8, 9 and 10wthe keys for actuating the changing levers for large letters or signs and for spacing. The construction of these parts is not shown in detail, as they are similar to the corresponding parts of the known wheel typewriters, and as their operation is generally known.

s They do not form part of the invention. A metal frame 13 is oscillatably mounted on bolts 11 and 12 on the machine frame 2 and c arries the key" board 14. The Asidesupports 15 and 16 of the oscillatable .framev 13 are upwardly bent at the front portion, so that the keyboard 14 liesl in `position of rest at the same height as the change ytowards the front.

30, provided with a bore 31 in which a rod 34,

slightly 'downwardly inclined This inclined position of the keyboard presents the advantage, that the typist has a clear view of the keyboard and can easily operate same. On the keyboard 14 triangular 60 slide notches 17, tapering to a point in downward direction and deeper towards the front, are arranged superposed in three rows, the notches 17 of the several rows'being staggered. The characters, signs and numerals are durablyengraved or otherwise marked in known manner in the notches 17.

In the middle of the base plate 1, in front of the platen 3, a shaft 20 is mounted oscillatable to the vertical plane of the platen between two brackets 18, 19 screwed on to the base plate 1 by means of a bolt 21 guided in the brackets 18, 19. The upper portion of the lever 20 is of /circular cross section and slightly reduced in diameter. On the round end of this shaft a toothed wheel 22 is rotatably 75 mounted and has a hub 23, extended on one side and of rectangular cross section. A type wheel 24 is shiftably mounted on this hub 23 by means of two U-shaped slide bars 25, 26 fixed thereon. The slide bars 25, 26 are engaged from the under side by a fork 27 of a lever 28, oscillatable in known manner by the keys 8, 9. Consequently, the type wheel can be turned once around its axle by the rotating toothed wheel 22, whereas, independently therefrom, it is axially `shifted more or less by the lever 28 by depressing one of keys s, 9, 1o and is lthe types 8, 9 so that, as selected, one of the three rows of keys 29 lies in the striking range of the platen 3. Thevshaft 20 has a lateral extension guided in bearing eyes 32, 33 of .the oscillatable supports 15, 16, is inserted. A spring 35, arranged a between the machine frame 2 and the shaft 20, holds this shaft and therefore also the keyboard 14 in the inoperative position. The length of the diierent levers is such, that the descending travel of the keyboard 14 is slightly greater than the travel of the type wheel 24 from its position of rest up to contacting on the platen 3. 'Ihe striking of the types is therefore effected by lowering the keyboard 14, the type wheel 24 bearing against the roller 3 before the keyboard 14 reaches its lowermost position. By thus calculating the paths to be travelled, a good and uniform striking of the types 1S obtained.

In the example illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a grid plate 36 meshing with the toothed wheel 22, serves for turning the type wheel 24, this plate being shiftably mounted in a guide frame 37. The

grid plate v36 is bent .according to the path, '118 wheel 24 so that the teeth of the wheel 22 remain in mesh with the grid plate 36 when the type wheel is in any position, and an unintentional turning of the type wheel is prevented. The grid plate 36 carries at one end a bearing lug 38, bent perpendicularly to its shifting plane, a lever 40 being mounted on a bolt 39 on this lug, oscillatable in a vertical plane and at right angles to the grid plate 36. On the other end of this lever 40 a control rod 41 is articulated on a bolt 42 in a plane parallel to and under the keyboard 14. The control rod 4l carries at its end a bow 43 extending around the front of the keyboard. An indexing, or typewheel-actuating, arm or lever 44, shown in the form of a pin or pencil, is freely oscillatable, by means of a ball joint 45, on the upper end of the-bow 43, perpendicularly above the connection between the control rod 41 and the bow 43. 'Ihe claws of the ball joint can be i pressed by means of a clamping screw 46 against the ball of the joint so that'the indexing arm 44 is held in the desired position for writing. When the machine is not in use, the indexing arm 44 is folded over on to the keyboard 14, after the screw 46 has been loosened. On the under side of the bow, directly below the connecting point of the indexing arm 44, a runner ball 47 is provided on the bow 43 for frictionless and accurate adjustment of the pin inthe notches 17.

The adjustment of the character to be Written is effected by shiftingthe indexing arm 44 and bringing the runner ball 47 into the desired notch 17 of the keyboard which, owing to the arrangement of'the controlling device, lies fully exposed with the exception of the narrow strip covered by the bow 43. The movement of the indexing arm 44 is transmitted to the type wheel 24 through the intermediary of the control rod 41, the lever 40 and the grid plate 36. The striking of the type is effected by depressing the keyboard 14 with the indexing arm. 44. Owing to the oscillating movement of the supports 15, 16, the shaft 20 carrying the type Wheel 24 is oscillated towards the platen 3, the spring 35 is tensioned and the type wheel 24 pressed against the platen 3. If the pressure of the indexing arm 44 is removed from the keyboard 14, this board and the oscillatable shaft 20 return into their position of rest. At the same time a known arrangement, not illustrated, shifts the machine carriage forward a distance equal to the width of a sign.

The adjusting and striking of the type there fore takes place in a succession of stages by means of the indexing arm 44. Consequently, the tyist has always one hand free for operating the spacing key 10 and the shift keys 8 and 9 for the type wheel 24, so that the operation of the machine is considerably facilitated.

The guide frame 37 of the grid plate 36 is rotatably mounted on the machine frame on pins 48 and 49. Near the pin 48 a bolt 51 provided with a knob 50 is mounted in the machine frame and hingedly connected by means of a crank arm 52 to the guide frame 37. If the bolt 51 is turned towards the frame 37 in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2, this frame is swung around the pin 48, and the grid plate 36 liberates the toothed wheel 22. After the type wheel 24 and with same the wheel 22 has been shifted one or more types or teeth, the frame 37 is returned into its initial position together with the grid plate 36 by turning back the bolt 51, and the machine can be used as an ordinary ciphering machine.

The original ,text is written by adjusting the indexing arm on the keyboardin the ordinary way, it being possible to employ dierent ciphering codes according to the amount of displacement of the type wheel. For deciphering the cipher text is written on a machine with the type wheel displaced through the same distance, but in the opposite direction.

In the form of construction, illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the controlling device according to Fig. 2 is replaced by a toothed segment 53, rotatably mounted on a slide 54. The adjustment of the toothed segment 53 is effected through the intermediary of a connecting lever 55, transmission rod 56 and control rod 57, connected thereto, which carries the indexing arm 44 on a bow 43 in a similar manner to that, illustrated in Figs. l and 2. This transmission rod 56 is rotatably connected to the machine frame 2 by means of a bolt 63 and accommodates the control rod 57 in a ball joint 64 movable in all directions, so that this rod can easily follow the adjusting movements of the indexing arm 44. The slide 54 is shiftable in a substantially radial direction with respect to the toothed wheel 22, in a dove-tailed guide 58 in the machine base plate 1. The adjustment is effected by a screw spindle 59, guided in a screw threaded bore 60 in the machine frame and engaging, by means of a collar 6l, behind a shoulder 62 of the slide 54. The machine operates in a similar manner to the form of construction first described and can also be employed as a ciphering machine after the toothed wheel 22 has been displaced, this being easily eiected after releasing of the toothed segment 53. Y

By arranging several machines "side by side and coupling the control elements thereof for the simultaneous typing by operating only one machine, the same text can be simultaneously written on several machines.'V When the typewheels of these machines havebeen displaced to dierent cipher codes, the text written once will be typed in diierent ciphers, corresponding to the number of machines connected together. This possibility of use presents other particular advantages if it is desired to write a text in different characters, for example in Arabian and Latin letters.

The individual construction parts may be varied within wide limits or replaced by others without departing from the scope of the invention. f

I claim:-

1. A typewheel typewriter, comprising in combination a machine frame, a platen in said frame,

a keyboard oscillatably mounted on said frame, an indexing arm above said keyboard adjustable in a parallel plane and in a plane perpendicular to said keyboard, a type wheel rotatably mounted in said frame oscillatable towards said platen, the type wheel having a plurality of rows of types, a shift key mounted at a fixed -position on the frame and adapted to be manipulated by one hand of the operator at the xed position, means connecting the shift key with the typewheel to effect adjustment of the type wheel from the shift key so that any of the plurality of rows of types shall lie in the striking range of the platen, elements connecting said type wheel to said indexing arm, elements connecting said type wheel to said keyboard adapted to transform the parallel shifting of said indexing arm to said keyboard into a rotary movement and the depression of said keyboard caused by the vertical displacement thereof into an oscillating movement of said type wheel, and means adapted to be manipulated by the other hand of the operator for adjusting the indexing arm over the keyboard in the said parallel plane and with the keyboard in the said vertical plane.

2. A type-wheel typewriter, comprising in combination a machine frame, a platen mounted in said machine frame, an oscillatable frame in said machine frame, a keyboard fixed on said oscillatable frame, an indexing arm adjustable parallel and perpendicularly to said keyboard adapted to depress said keyboard with said oscillatable frame, a shaft mounted on said machine frame oscillatable towards said platenA connected to said oscillatable frame, the type wheel having a plurality of rows of types`a shift key and a spacing key mounted at a fixed position on the frame and adapted to be manipulated by one hand of the operator at the fixed position, means connecting the shift key with the type wheel to effect adjustment of the type wheel from the shift key so that any of the plurality of rows of type shall lie in the striking range of the platen, a type wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, and coupling elements between said type wheel and said indexing arm adapted to convert into a rotary movement of the typewheel the adjustment of said indexing arm in a plane parallel to said keyboard.

3. A typewriter, comprising in combination a machine frame, a platen in said machine frame, an oscillatable frame mounted on said machine frame, a keyboard fixed sloping towards the front on said oscillatable frame, an indexing arm above said keyboard adjustable parallel and perpendicularly thereto adapted to depressI said oscillatable frame, a shaft on said machine frame oscillatable in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said platen and adapted to swing towards said platen on said oscillatable frame being depressed, a typewheel rotatable and axially shiftable on said shaft, a bolt connecting said lever to said oscillatable frame, a spring between said machine frame and one of said oscillatable parts to hold said oscillatable parts in position of rest, a toothed wheel connected for uniform rotation with said type wheel, a grid plate meshing with the toothed wheel and curved so as to mesh with the toothed wheel during the oscillation of the lever, a bow extending around the front of said keyboard and -carrying said indexing arm on the upper side thereof, an adjusting element for said toothed wheel shiftably mounted on said machine frame, and a control rod hingedly connected to said adjusting element situated under of rest, a toothed wheel connected to said type wheel adapted to rotate in common with said type wheel, a control element forv said toothed wheel, means for bringing said control element out of engagement with said toothed wheel, a bow extending over the front of said keyboard and carrying said indexing arm on the upper side thereof, a control rod connected with said control element under said keyboard, hinge connections between said control element said control rod and said bow adapted to allow the vertical movement of saidA indexing arm, and means for adjusting and fixing said indexing arm on said bow.

ALFRED ANTON UNGER. 

